Ice-saving refrigerator



March 1 1927.

L. LOWY ICE SAVING REFRIGERATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 1926 all/I1Tb NEY I I 1,619,741 March 1 1927' LOWY- ICE SAVING REFRIGERATOR FiledFeb. 4-. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 16/ v I), I" 8 66 9 t 57 a1 fffi HillPatented Mar. 1, 1927.

units!) STATES LOUIS LowY, or BRONX, NE YORK.

ICE-SAVING REFRIGERATOR.

Application filed February 4, 1926. Serial No. 85,922.

This invention relates generally to refrigerators such as ordinarilyused by butchers, grocers, delicatessens, restaurants, hotels and thelike.

The invention has for an object the provision of an improved shutterwhich will prevent the ice placed in the refrigerator from being exposedto the temperature of the room, when the door of the said refrig' eratorisopened. 4

A further object of the invention is the provision of a means of closingthe said shutter when the refrigerator door is opened, and of openingthe said shutter whenthe refrigerator door-is closed.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawing, and to the appended claims in which thevarious novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.y 7

F ig; 1, of the drawings, is a front elevational view of a refrigeratorembodying my improved device, p

Fig. 2, is a side elevational viewthereof, showing the side of therefrigerator partly removed, so as to expose certainyinterior parts. V

Fig. 3, is a top plan view of my improved device, showing the shutter ina closed position.

Fig. 4, is a vertical sectional view of my improved device, as shown inFig. 3,show'- ing same in place in a refrigerator and showing thedoor-thereto.

i Fig. 5, is a longitudinal sectional" view of my improved device,showing the shutters in an opened position.

Fig. 6, is a longitudinal sectional view, taken on the line 66 of Fig.4.

Fig. 7, is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a refrigeratorshowing a modification of my improved device.

Fig. 8, is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken on the line 8-8of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9, is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a refrigeratorshowing the shutter of my improved device in a closed position.

Fig. 10, isv a fragmenta-rygview ofa refrigerator door, showing the lostmotion attachment as used in connection with the modification of myimproved device.

The refrigerator 10,has doors ll, adapted to be swung outward in ahorizontal position and pushed or forced inward to permit access to theprovision compartments 18, where the food stuffs, or the like are storedor kept, the mirrors 14, the ice box doors 15 permit ice to be placed inthe ice compartment 16, the lower doors 17, provided with handles 18,permit access to the lower provision compartments 19, where food stuffs,or the like may also be stored, the panel 20 represents a dummy door.The above referred to construction being such as ordinarily found inrefrigerators commonly used by butchers, grocers, delicatessens,restaurants, hotels, and the like. It being clearly understood that I donot necessarily limit my invention to the particular type ofrefrigerator as above described.

As here embodied my improved device comprises a shutter having shutterelements 21, having longitudinal notched free extremities 22, which arepivotally attached to the side members 23, of a frame, as at 241-. Theframe also consists of a front cross member 25, and a rear cross memberIt being understood that the shutter elements 21 are of suitable size toentirely enclose or cover the said frame when the shutter elements arein a closed position, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, of the accompanyingdrawing. The shutter elements 21 have attached thereto and extendingdownward therefrom brackets 27,- having yoke shaped extremities28,"adapted to receive a shutter bar 29, pivotally attached thereto asat 30. The angle'bracket 31 is attached at or near the front'or forwardextremity of the shutter bar 29, and has a downward depending portion32. The rear shutter element 23, at the rear, or adjacent to the rearcross member26, is provided with a bracket 27 having a downwarddepending portion The above describedconstruction being such as willallow the door 11, when opened, as hereinbefore stated, and which hasattached thereto, at or near its upper inner edge, a depending arm 34,to close theshutter elements 21, it being understood, that the dependingarm 34 will strike the depending portion 32 of the angle bracket- If forany reason this" does not occur or function, it will be understood thatthe depending arm 34 will strike the depending portion of the shutterelement 28, at therear, or adjacent to the rear cross member 26, whichwill close the said shutter elements 21. It being also understood thatthe said shutter elements above referred to are located between the saidcompartment 13 where the food stuffs are kept, and the said icecompartment 16, where the ice is placed, and that the shutter elements21, when closed, will prevent the said ice from being exposed to thetemperature of the room, when the door 11 is opened.

As a means of preventing the said ice from being exposed to thetemperature of the room, when the door 11 is opened, and the air mayenter through the said lower provision compartment 19, I have provided asecond shutter, located between the said compartment 13, and the lowerprovision compartment 19, having a rear shutter element 34, at the rearor adjacent to the rear cross member 26 provided with a support 35, ator near the free extremity, adapted to receive a vertical rod 36,pivotally attached at its lower extremity to the said support 35, as at37, and pivotally attached, at its upper extremity, as at 38, to asupport 39, which is attached at or near the free extremity of the saidrear shutter element 23. The above described construction being such aswill allow the first mentioned and described shutter elements tosimilarly operate the said second shutter elements, for the purpose asabove stated. It being fully understood that the said shutter elements21 will normally be held in an opened position by the jamming of thedepending arm 34 against the lever 32 depending from the shutter bar.

Referring in particular to Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10, in which I have showna modification of my improved device.

In order to adapt my improved device to a refrigerator 40 having a door41 opened by being swung outward on the hinges 42 to permit access tothe said compartment 13, I have provided an operating mechanism for thesaid shutter elements, comprising a lost motion device consisting of anangle shaped member 43, hinged to a support 44, as at 45, which isattached to the said door 41, on its inner side, adjacent to the saidhinges 42, and preferably at the top or upper portion of the door 41.The support 44 has a depending curved portion 46, extending therefrom,and adapted to slidably receive suitable aperture formed in theprotruding lug 47 of the angle shaped member 43, so that the door 41 maybe opened slightly before the enlarged extremity 48 of the dependingcurved portion 46 of the support 44, strikes the lug 47 of the angleshaped member 43, during which interval or period the depending curvedportion .46 will slide in the aperture formed in the lug 47 of the angleshaped member 43.

The extended portion 49, of the angle shaped member 43, which hasattached thereto, at its extremity a pin 50, and extended therefrom toengage an elongated slot 51, formed in the arm 52, of a bell crank,having a second arm 53, with an enlarged extremity 54, the said bellcrank being pivotally attached as at 55, to a suitable bracket 56,conveniently attached to the side of the said compartment 13. Thedepending lever 57 is attached to one of the said shutter ele ments 21,so that the said extremity 54 of the arm 53, when the door 41 is closed,holds the said shutter elements 21 in an open position. It beingunderstood that when the door is opened that the said lever will bereleased, and the said shutter elements 21 will gradually close. Theshutter elements 21 are pivotally mounted as indicated at 24, and sincebrackets with yokes 28 and c011- necting shutter bar 29 are attached tothe bottom side of the shutters 21, the weight of these parts normallyurge the shutters to closed position. The shutters are only opened whenforced so by the co-action of the door 41 in the closed osition, due ofcourse to the portion 49 witli pin 50 forcing the bell crank 53 to theposition shown in Fig. 8, thus abutting lever 5'7, opening the shutters.lVhen the door 41 is opened the bell crank 53 assumes the positionindicated by the dot dash lines in Fig. 8, allowing the lever 57 tofollow it to this position which causes a closing of the shutters.

It will be further understood that my improved device may be made of anysuitable material, such as may be adapted for a device of this nature,and that same may be provided with felt or any similar suitablematerial, to retain the desired temperature and exclude undesirabletemperatures.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of myinvention it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise constructions herein disclosed, and that various changes andmodifications might be made therein such as may be required in itsadaptability in a cabinet having upwardly swinging or rolling doors andany other changes and modifications Without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows 1. In adevice of the class described, having a door, for each provisioncompartment, the combination of a frame, a plurality of shutter elementspivotally mounted in said frame, a bracket attached to each of saidshutter elements, said brackets being formed with yoke shapedextremities, a bar pivotally attached to said extremities, a leverdepending from one of the shutter elements, a bell crank pivotallymounted to one wall of said compartment, one arm of said bell crankbeing abutable against said lever, the other arm of said bell crankbeing formed with a slot, a pin engaging said slot, an angle shapedmember supporting said pin, a support hingedly connected to said anglemember, said support being fastened to said door, a curved memberdepending from said support, a lug depending from said angle shapedmember, said curved member being slidably engaged in said lug, and saidcurved member being formed With a large extremity.

2. In a device of the class described, having a door, for each provisioncompartment, the combination of a frame, a plurality of shutter elementspivotally mounted in said frame, a bracket attached to each of saidshutter elements, said brackets being formed with yoke shapedextremities, a bar pivotally attached to said extremities, a leverdepending from one of the shutter elements, a bell crank pivotallymounted to one Wall of said compartment, by means of a dependingbracket, one arm of said bell crank being abutable against said lever,the other arm of said bell crank being formed with a slot, a pinengaging said slot, an angle shaped member supporting said pin, asupport hingedly connected to said angle member, said support beingfastened to said door, a curved member depending from said support, alug depending from said angle shaped member, said curved member beingslidably engaged in said lug, and said curved member being formed with alarge extremity.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

LOUIS LOWY,

